Sociological Theory/Feminist Theory

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Because many of the original theories used to explain delinquency were based on research limited to boys, these theories needed to be modified to understand gender differences in delinquency, especially why girls are so much less delinquent than boys. Josephina Figueira-McDonough argued that social control theory explains girls’ and boys’ behavior equally well; predictors suggested by strain theory also work equally well. Some experts have predicted that as the female gender role changes in our society, girls will become more and more like boys in their delinquency, with girls acting more violent and taking part in activities like gang fighting. Because of the importance of girls’ running away and other status offenses, it is important to understand girls’ status offending. According to Chesney-Lind, girls often run away from abuse, and once they are “on the streets,” several negative outcomes are possible.